Into Spare Oom
by Fritz Will Get You
Summary: Poor Tumnus has a nightmare... Which leads him to 'Spare Oom' itself! What is a poor Faun to do? It is suggested that you read 'Bleak Bonds' before reading this, but you don't have to. Update: Probably will not be updated for a long, long time. I'm sorry.
1. Chapter 1

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Hi, I'm really on a roll, aren't I? Yes, yes, I do know that I haven't updated on my other stories in favor of creating a new fic, but I was just so happy from all the pleasant reviews that I received from "Bleak Bonds" that I had to write another Tumnus story. Besides, this idea has been zooming around in my head all day, and if I don't release it soon my brain will internally combust. Yes. Anyways, thank you all who reviewed my other story, you don't know how much I appreciate it.  **

**This little tale takes place after the crowning of Lucy and the others, because it's just easier for me to follow the movie events anyways. Lucy and the others haven't gone back to Spare Oom just yet.If you do seem confused, don't worry, everything should explain itself in the end….**

**Arrele: Man, I don't want you to get back into the habit of posting stories if it makes me have to do disclaimers again…. Stupid Faun.**

**Me: Wh… What did you just say? AARRGGH! DIE! YOU WILL NOT INSULT TUMNUS, YOU HEAR?**

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Evening, just when the sun sets, casting its last rays of light to hold back the shadows from the day, but finally giving in to the night. The time where the diurnal creatures of the forest traded places with the nocturnal, and the stars took the place of clouds. For some this darkness provides a secret cover for shady business among those who were still faithful to the White Witch. For others it was just a different time of day, only darker. 

For whatever the reason was, Tumnus the Faun found himself staring at the darkened forest, squinting as the last few rays of the sun temporarily blinded him. He wasn't sure why he was strolling through the trees, but he knew he had a purpose there. Maybe it was fate, maybe he was going to encounter someone else from Spare Oom like Lucy. Whatever the reason, he knew that he was compelled to head towards the lamppost, so that was where he was going.

His red scarf seemed to be the only splash of color illustrating the landscape, which was rather unusual for this time of evening, where hues of purple and orange usually illuminated the snow for a brief time before the shadows took over. An uneasy feeling started to chill him, causing him to pull his umbrella closer to him. Umbrella? When did he get that? Confused, he looked up at it and gasped in horror.

Above him wasn't an umbrella, but a web of glass that was stained with black filth that dripped into his curly hair and ran down the sides of his face. Hastily he cast it away, wiping his hair and face on his arms and scarf.

"Wh- what? What…" He was speechless in his fear. Something wasn't right in this forest of haunting trees, and as he looked around the branches seemed to close in on him, threatening to suffocate the Faun. Panic forced him to run to the nearest safe object: The Lamppost.

Panting, he came to a halt and leaned against the cool metal, looking up at the black sky. Snowflakes were gently falling from the black abyss, cooling his burning face. What had just happened? And why was it snowing? Wasn't it supposed to be summer? The thoughts whirled around and around in his head with no end.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he closed his eyes and tried to asses the situation. Okay. He was obviously in the woods near his home, and for some strange reason it was snowing. That he could believe. He could also believe it was night. What he couldn't comprehend was why he was carrying that wretched… thing. He glanced warily over to where he had dropped it, but it wasn't there anymore.

The light from the lamp was comforting. With a sigh he leaned his head against it and kept his eyes closed. If he couldn't see anything frightening, then it couldn't be there, right? He chuckled to himself. That was probably the worst lie he could tell himself, especially since he had tried that trick when he was at Jadis's castle. It wasn't an experience he was likely to forget. But that was in his past now, and he was over it. Besides, Aslan would keep the likes of her away, wouldn't he? And if that wasn't true, at least he had Lucy there to be his friend. He always felt braver when she was around.

Footsteps broke his chain of jumbled thoughts, causing him to look up and peer into the shadows. There was a person standing a few feet back against the trees, face bowed, hand pressing tightly against the tree trunk. Black hair hung limply in front of their face, obscuring any familiar features.

Tumnus gripped the pole tightly with one hand, nervously calling, "Hello?" It was all he could do at the given moment.

"Mister Tumnus…" A small voice echoed through the dark, the figure standing still.

Tumnus didn't have to think long before recognizing that voice. "Lucy? What are you doing out here?" He asked, stepping forward in case she needed help. She sounded rather weak. Lucy didn't move as he advanced, she just kept her hand on the tree trunk and kept staring at the ground. Tumnus noticed that she was wearing the same dress and cardigan outfit that she had on when they first met, but it was now filthy and in tatters.

"Lucy, what happened to you? Can I help?" The Faun quickened his pace in his worry, but he was stopped by her outstretched hand.

"Stop. Don't come any closer." Her voice was hollow and cold, almost forming a barrier between them.

In his confusion Tumnus stood still, the unsure feeling rising in him once more. "Lucy, what is wro-"

"SILENCE!" Lucy's voice rang through the trees, the world it seemed, shaking his very core. "It's all your fault, traitor. You worked for the White Witch and hurt many innocent creatures, including me. How could you?"

Tumnus was stunned by her harsh words. "Lucy, what are you saying? I-"

Lucy pulled her hand off the tree trunk, throwing it out into the light. "Look what you did to me!" It was bloody and raw, glistening with a thin layer of ice. Tumnus felt sick at the sight of it, but he could not tear his gaze away. The wound seeped black pus that hissed upon impact with the snowflakes. The little girl's eyes were gone, in their place two lumps of coal that glowed with a fire that could only come from rage. Around them the forest darkened until the only things visible were Lucy, Tumnus, and the lamppost. The stars above them had turned red, casting a red light upon the already bloody snow.

Tumnus, horrified, tried to stutter a response, but found his heart in his throat and could not speak. His eyes could only widen in his terror as Lucy lurched forward, feet melting into the powder beneath them.

Her voice echoed over and over again as she whispered, "I thought we were friends…."

Tumnus could only do one thing: he screamed.

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"Mr. Tumnus! Are you alright? Wake up!" 

"What's wrong with him? Why won't he wake?"

"If he doesn't shut up he'll wake the whole castle!"

Tumnus groaned and blearily opened his eyes, raising a hand to block out the sudden painful light that met him. His head was swimming with what he had just seen, and he wasn't sure where he was or who was with him. Shivering, he rolled onto his side and took a shaky breath, attempting to verify what was reality and what was dream.

"Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy's small hand touched his shoulder, making him jump in fright. Slowly he rolled onto his back and looked at her, eyes staring straight at her but not comprehending what they were seeing.

"Mr. Tumnus? It's Lucy, did you have a bad dream? It's over now, you're safe." The little queen said anxiously, trying to get a response. Behind her Peter and Edmund were nervously waiting to see what would happen, both ready to take action if the Faun was still dreaming.

Blue eyes blinked, then focused on the little girl. "Lucy?" His voice was shaking.

The child smiled in relief. "Mr. Tumnus, you gave us an awful scare. You were thrashing around and screaming! What were you dreaming about?"

Tumnus sat up and ran a hand between his horns and took another deep breath. "It was… nothing. Just a bad dream. N- nothing to worry about." He tried to look reassuring, but failed miserably.

Peter, sensing the Faun's tension, took Edmund by the arm and lead him out, leaving the two alone. Lucy sat down on the bed beside her shaken friend and took his hand. "Was it about the castle again?" For the past few nights he had been dreaming about being locked up in the icy prison, where he had been beaten and broken until he had eventually been turned into a statue. These nightmares had left him jumpy and frightened for the rest of the night until Lucy came to sooth him. Keeping her awake was the last thing on his mind, but he couldn't help it. He didn't feel safe until she talked to him.

Tumnus shook his head. "No, it was something else… something awful. But don't worry about it, it was just a dream, after all." He smiled tiredly at her, squeezing her hand. He couldn't tell her about his nightmare, not this time. This time it was different, and he would have to deal with it on his own.

"Maybe Susan can help." She was so sweet, trying to help him, and it was almost unbearable to turn her offer down.

"No, it's fine. Really. Just a dream." With a little more persuasion he managed to send her back to her bed, leaving him alone in his borrowed room to think. (His home was still damaged from his arrest.) The image of Lucy like that would haunt him for a while, and her words danced inside his head. He knew it wouldn't stop until he talked to someone, but he didn't know who. After a few minutes of thinking it came to him.

He needed to talk to Aslan.

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Oooooh! Interesting… Heh. I am planning to make this into a full length story, so tell me what you think so far. I just can't leave this little dream of his like this! Not when he's traumatized!  Review and I will be happy, Flame and I will be amused. And remember, this is sort of an AU after the movie, so the kids aren't all grown up yet. Yeah. Uh… review please. I just lost my train of thought. XP**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, all you fine people out there! How are you all? I know I'm feeling good, because I woke up at six in the morning to type this! Well, actually, I have to get up at six every morning for school, but still…. I am so thrilled by the responses I have received from just the first chapter of this fic, so I will keep on writing! Er, typing, I mean.**

**As a reply to **Shawcross Gal**'s question, I'm not yet sure if this will turn out to be a Tumnus/Lucy thing or not, but since I'm not very good at writing deep romance I think it will be more of a very close friendship between the two. Although you never know…. The pair is definitely cute. And this chapter is kind of slow, but it will pick up near the end. I just realized that you can't put little emoticon smiles in here. Aw… Oh well. On with the story! And thank you, **Sanaryelle, **for putting this with all the other 'Fun With Fauns' stories!**

**Arrele: Sigh…. If any of us owned Narnia…. I wouldn't be saying this.**

**Oh, and as a reminder, it is slightly AU if you think about it, since the kids are just newly crowned and will stay as kids throughout the whole story. It's just easier for me that way. Okay, on with the story again!**

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It seemed like a lifetime before the sun rose to the Faun, but in reality it had only been a couple of hours. As soon as the light started to pour through the window curtains Tumnus left his room in favor of the outdoors, where he could clear his head a little. The prospect of talking to Aslan made him nervous, but instead of being nervous because of how great the lion was, it was the kind of nervousness one got when they knew they had done something wrong and were about to tell someone about it. But Aslan already knew of Tumnus's previous employer and seemed to forgive him about it, so why did the idea of talking with him seem so impossible? 

Tumnus inhaled deeply, taking in all the summer smells and sights. This made him feel a lot better, better than he had felt when he was back in his room. He hadn't slept since Lucy came to talk to him, too shaken by the dream to sleep peacefully. Without thinking about it he found himself walking towards the beach, drawn to the soothing sounds of the waves breaking upon the sandy shore, water sparkling from the sunrise. Normally he did not appreciate getting sand in his fur (Is that what it is? Or is it hair? I don't know….) but today he didn't care.

He was staring out to sea when he heard footsteps behind him. Thinking it was Lucy, he turned, saying, "Lucy, how lon-"

It was Aslan.

Immediately Tumnus dropped to one knee, saying, "My Lord," without a second thought. He had meant to talk to the magnificent Lion, but not so soon! His eyes stayed fixed on the sand as he waited for a response.

"Rise, Tumnus. There is no need for formalities this early in the morning." Aslan said gently. Tumnus slowly rose to his hooves, looking uneasily into the Lion's eyes. Both stood in the sand, waiting for the other to speak as the waves continued to break upon the shore.

Finally Tumnus couldn't wait any longer and said, "Lord Aslan, I have been meaning to speak to you…" he trailed off, seeming unsure of how to put his thoughts into speech.

"About your reoccurring nightmares." It wasn't a question.

"Y- yes. They're horrible, and I've done everything I could to drive them away, but after a few nights they keep coming back. Last night it was so bad that I woke up Lucy and the others, and I certainly do not want that to happen again. Now that they're kings and queens of Narnia, they need all the sleep they can get." He was straying from the point, and Aslan knew it.

"Your nightmares aren't the only thing that's troubling you. What else is it that's keeping you up at night?" They were walking along the beach again, away from the castle, neither having a specific destination in mind.

"I'm… I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed for working with the White Witch and being unfaithful to you and all the Narnians. And yet Lucy doesn't hate me for working with the enemy, and neither do you, and I don't deserve that." Tumnus was looking at the sand again, tears of shame threatening to fall from his eyes.

"Did you join her ranks because you wanted to? Or was it out of fear?" Aslan asked seriously.

"I- I was afraid. Terrified. I couldn't tell her 'No' out of fear of turning into stone, but I guess that happened anyways no matter what I did." Tumnus couldn't tell where the conversation was going, and he looked at Aslan questioningly.

"And did you join my side out of fear?" The Lion prompted.

"No… I joined because it was the right choice…" It suddenly dawned on him that he truly was faithful to Aslan, and he would always be accepted. He didn't have to worry anymore about being a traitor to Lucy or anyone else, he didn't have to be ashamed for his wrongs in the past, and that lifted a great weight off his shoulders.

Aslan chuckled at the Faun's awe. "Now, is there anything else you want to tell me about?"

Tumnus started to shake his head, but he suddenly asked, "And the nightmares?"

"I think the best thing would be to tell Lucy how you feel. Your nightmares seem to stem from your anxiety." Tumnus brightened at Aslan's response and started to head back to the castle before the Lion was done. Aslan smiled and shook his maned head, watching the Faun go. There was something else afoot, but for now he would not trouble the Faun with his superstitions until something happened.

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By the time Tumnus reached the castle, everyone else was awake and getting breakfast ready. He knew that Lucy was going to be looking for him, so he hurried inside as fast as he could. But after a few minutes of searching for her, he couldn't find her anywhere. Her siblings were gone as well. A helpful centaur told him that she had seen the children head into the forest earlier, so that was where he went. 

A light breeze ruffled his hair as he walked past the trees, causing his ears to twitch. He was painfully aware of how similar the scene was to his dream, but he tried to push that thought out of his mind and focused on finding Lucy. The trees were of no help to him, unfortunately, and he found himself back at his still destroyed home. Repairs hadn't been made yet.

"Lucy? Are you in there?" He called, casting a glance inside. Something moved in the corner of his eyes, quickly moving out of his line of vision. He turned and looked out into the trees. "Hello?"

A snarling wolf burst out of the bushes, snapping jaws aiming straight for the Faun's face. Tumnus yelped and ducked, hearing a loud crash behind him as the wolf collided with something inside his home. Without sticking around to see what it was, Tumnus ran as fast as he could, not looking back. When he reached the lamppost he stopped to regain his bearings.

"What in Aslan's name…" He muttered, eyes searching the wood for any sign of the wolf. Just when he started to relax he heard a snarl behind him and came face to face with the wolf. Tumnus recognized it as one of Jadis's wolves, causing his heart to pound. This day was not going well.

"Wh- what do you want?" He breathed, backing up against the post in a vain attempt to stay out of reach of those slobbering teeth.

"I want your blood, traitor!" The wolf snarled, fur raised and eyes glowing. Before the wolf could strike, however, Tumnus bolted into the woods again, dodging trees and bushes nimbly and with unusual speed for one of his stature. A chilling howl broke the silence of the forest.

"Leave me alone!" Tumnus yelled, blindly sprinting through the trees. He wasn't aware of where he was going until he ran into something hard and fell onto the floor, skidding a few feet before coming to a halt in the silence.

Groaning, he raised his head and opened his eyes, not believing what he was looking at.

"Where… am I?" He was staring at a wardrobe with it's door ajar, and through it he could see the forest he had just run through.

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Heh, bet some of you weren't expecting that! I know I wasn't! Wait…. Oh, if any of the characters seem OOC, let me know right away so I can fix it. And if you have any questions I will try my hardest to answer them without giving too much away. I will try to update as fast as I can, but I do have school so it is difficult sometimes. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Gah, once again, I am up at six. But I do not mind because I woke up to lovely reviews! Seriously, you guys all brighten my day. I shall keep saying that until it runs out your ears. HA!**

**And, yes, for anyone who did pick up on that, like **Sanaryelle**, I did add a little tribute to James McAvoy when Tumnus kneels before Aslan and says, "My Lord." I was hoping someone would notice that. Kudos to all who did!  
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**Oh, and for further reference, all the children (Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund) are all the same age as when they first went into Narnia. If I forget to explain anything else, please yell at me. And for what the mansion looks like, I'm going on what I saw in the movie and filling in the blanks. **

**Uh, I think that's it… no, wait. I have some bad news. I might not be able to update daily because winter break is coming up, and all the teachers I have decided to give me homework. But, I will update as fast as I can, and I will finish this story! I will not abandon it! DON'T PANIC!**

**Arrele: Wow, that was rather valiant. Anyways, we don't own anything and all that jazz. AND ALL THAT JAZZ! Whoops.**

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Previously…… _

"_Leave me alone!" Tumnus yelled, blindly sprinting through the trees. He wasn't aware of where he was going until he ran into something hard and fell onto the floor, skidding a few feet before coming to a halt in the silence._

_Groaning, he raised his head and opened his eyes, not believing what he was looking at._

"_Where… am I?" He was staring at a wardrobe with it's door ajar, and through it he could see the forest he had just run through._

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Tumnus picked himself up off the floor and absentmindedly checked for injuries. Nothing broken, just a banged up elbow from where he fell and hit the hardwood floor. He would have a couple of bruises to look forward to tomorrow. As he examined his elbow he noticed that he could still hear howls coming from the wardrobe, and he crept up to the piece of furniture to take a look. It seemed normal and all, but the back was missing and in its place were trees. 

A question rose up in his head as he listened to the wolves. Should he go back? He knew what was on the other side of the trees, since he had obviously come from there, and it didn't seem too appealing at the moment. On the other hand, he had no idea where this place was. For all he knew this could be a wolf sanctuary and he definitely did not want to be near anymore wolves. But if he went back through the trees that dumb wolf would be waiting to attack him. Decisions, decisions….

Tumnus was about to go back through the wardrobe and brave the wolf when suddenly the animal burst through the trees, snarling as it tried to get through the thick branches. Without thinking Tumnus slammed the door in its face, receiving a whine of pain from the other side. He held it shut as the wolf tried to break the door. It was an understatement to say that they were making a racket: Tumnus, struggling to hold the door closed while the wolf tried to push its way through. Finally, after many close calls and the wardrobe racking hard on its sides, everything fell silent. After a few anxious minutes of waiting Tumnus decided that it was safe to let go.

Slowly the door creaked open, revealing a wooden back with no signs of there having ever been a forest on the other side. Puzzled, the Faun stepped inside and felt around. It was a regular wardrobe. He climbed out and studied it from all sides. Nothing.

"How odd. I could've sworn that there were…" He trailed off from his thinking aloud as he heard hurried footsteps coming toward the room. Every inch of his body froze as he listened to them come closer. What was he going to do? The only hiding spot was in the wardrobe, and it wouldn't take long before whoever it was would look in there. But where else could he go?

"If I have to tell them one more time about touching the historical artifacts, I'm sending them back on the train, no matter what the Professor says about it!" A woman's voice grated upon the Faun's ears, sending his heart racing. He had nowhere to go but into the wardrobe. Quickly he threw open the door and hopped inside, closing it behind him. As he waited he pressed his ear upon the magical wood to hear the stranger's footsteps.

He could hear the door creak open, allowing the unknown person to step into the room.

"I know you're in here, you can't fool me. I could hear you clear across the mansion. Come out this instant!" It was indeed a woman, and a rather angry one at that. She walked closer, grumbling to herself. Tumnus pressed his body against the back of the wardrobe, praying that she would not open the door. Of course, since he was already having an out of the ordinary day his prayers were not answered, and he found himself staring at a very angry…. Daughter of Eve? She seemed more like a reincarnation of the White Witch, with her angry, stern face and all.

When Mrs. Macready opened the wardrobe door, she was expecting to find one of those insolent children the Professor let run all over the place. What she was not expecting was opening the door and seeing a half scared, half confused _thing _staring back at her. Surprised, she stared. And stared some more. The first thing she thought of was, There's a goat in this closetBut that didn't seem to fit, since the upper half of this creature was most definitely human, save the ears and horns. Then what was it? _Who _was it?

The last thing Tumnus expected to see when the door opened was another Daughter of Eve, or more likely a witch, and all he could do was stare back. It hadn't occurred to him that Lucy and her siblings weren't the only humans near Narnia, but then again, he hadn't counted on ending up in a whole other world when he had been meaning to take a walk through the forest. He tried to put more space between them but he was as far back as he could go.

Neither spoke for a long time, until Tumnus broke the silence. He sneezed, dust from the wardrobe tickling his nose.

"Bless you." The woman said automatically, looking at him sternly. She was beginning to think that this was some boy dressed in a costume and was getting annoyed. "Now, who are you? Tell me your name, quick, or you'll be regretting you ever broke into this house."

He was almost positive she was a witch. Hastily he stuttered, "T- tumnus."

"Thomas?"

"No, m'am, Tumnus."

"Well, Thomas, climb out of there so we can call your parents. You have no right in being in there." She motioned for him to climb out impatiently.

Tumnus (or Thomas, in the woman's view) didn't move, for fear of what she would do to him. Once she found out he didn't have any parents she would probably throw him in some kind of prison, and he would not let that happen to him again. His only choice was to run.

"Come now, you have no place to go." Mrs. Macready said, motioning again.

Taking a deep breath, Tumnus stood, as if to climb out, but instead he pushed himself off the back wall, knocking the woman to the floor, and running out the door and into the hall. The woman's unladylike cursing followed him as he skidded around a corner, desperately trying not to fall down. Hooves were not made for running on hardwood floors.

The crazy Witch was following him. He looked behind him to see where she was and ran straight into a large statue, knocking them both over with a loud smash. Dazed, he shook his head and unsteadily got back to his feet, leaving the broken pieces of the statue behind as he hunted for a way out of the place.

"Not the historical artifacts!" Mrs. Macready exclaimed, pausing in her pursuit to lament over the broken statue. She would catch that kid and make him pay. All the doors were locked, so he only had one place to go: straight back to her. With an evil glint in her eye she walked quickly in the direction 'Thomas' went, meaning to come back and sweep up the broken bits later.

Tumnus skidded around another corner, barely missing the stairs. If he had stopped to look around he would've noticed how big the mansion was, and how many artifacts he was passing by. It was a very beautiful house to an observer; to someone who was running from a supposed evil witch it was a labyrinth full of locked doors and twisting corners. Instead of heading down the hall past more endless doors, the Faun opted for going down the stairs in hopes of finding the front door.

With a huge leap he skipped the last few steps and ran up to the door, jiggling the handle but finding it locked. Frustration rose inside of him as he caught his breath. Where could he go? It would take too long to test every single door until he found one that was unlocked, and that witch lady would find him soon if he didn't hide himself again.

"Stop right there!" Mrs. Macready yelled from the top of the stairs, holding an umbrella. With surprising speed for an older lady she dashed down the stairs, brandishing her umbrella like a sword. Before Tumnus could react she had smacked him soundly on the head right between his horns.

"Ow! Stop!" He cried, clutching his head and ducking as she made to hit him again. Blindly he sidestepped yet another wave of the umbrella and ran back upstairs, this time going down the hall he hadn't gone down before. This hall had carpet, making it easier for him to run without slipping.

Mrs. Macready, fed up with chasing this slippery goat costumed fellow, decided to go straight to the Professor and tell him what was going on. Maybe he would be able to help nab the stranger. She found him in his study, immersed in a conversation with Edmund. Patiently she waited until the boy left. For some reason Edmund seemed different to her, changed somewhat, but there wasn't enough time to explore that further.

Professor Kirke watched the boy go with a small smile on his face, and then nodded to Mrs. Macready. "Yes? Is something wrong? You look more harried than usual."

"Professor," The woman said, ignoring his comment, "there is some boy dressed up as a goat running around and destroying the historical artifacts."

The Professor looked perplexed for a second, then got an odd look that could only be described as the look that one got when they suddenly had an odd thought and suspected something. "A goat boy? Did you ask his name?"

"Yes, a boy running around dressed as a goat. He said his name was Thomas. He's destroying the-"

"Historical artifacts, I know. Where is he?"

"He ran down the hall to the right of the staircase in the entrance. How are we going to catch him?"

The old man noticed how fired up she seemed and smiled. "Don't worry, I have an idea. Go take a rest and leave this to me."

* * *

Tumnus nervously walked among the books, occasionally glancing around him for any sign of the lady. He was in the library, which was the only room that had its door unlocked, seeking peace among the literature. Escaping was turning out to be harder than he thought. At least he would be harder to find in this gigantic room. 

Once his heart stopped racing he took time to look at some of the book titles, letting his curiosity overwhelm his fear for the time being. He let himself relax even more by taking some off the shelf and skimming them inquisitively before remembering that he was supposed to be hiding. Putting the books back, he paced to the other side of the room to see if he could find another door out of there.

To his surprise he actually found one, but when he opened the door it only lead to a closet. Disappointed, the Faun treaded back to the other door, putting his ear to it before turning the doorknob. He didn't hear anything, so he assumed the coast was clear. Once again he was wrong.

Professor Kirke had listened to the children's story of Narnia with great interest, delighted to know that Jadis had been defeated and Aslan had returned. When Mrs. Macready showed up and told him of a goat boy running around the house it was all he could do to keep himself from automatically assuming it was a Faun from Narnia. But when he was walking the halls he had come across a red scarf, which sparked the memory of Lucy describing one of the Fauns wearing one.

Stooping to pick it up, he noticed a shadow block out the light coming from the crack under the door, and immediately stood still. A moment or two passed, and the door slowly opened, revealing the 'goat boy'.

"Oh!" The boy gasped, backing away from the door.

Professor Kirke could only stare, like Mrs. Macready had done when she had first seen the Faun. He had missed Narnia so much when he had left it, and when the children had told him they had returned from the magical place he had thought it too good to be true. But here, cringing before him, was a Narnian in the flesh.

It was tempting to reach out a hand and touch the Faun to see if this was just a dream, but instead he held out the scarf, saying placidly, "I believe you dropped this."

Tumnus had been expecting this human to detain him and take him to the witch lady, not hand him his scarf, which he had evidently dropped when he entered the library. All he could do was take it, politely thanking the strange man and wait for what would happen next.

**

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Oh boy, this will be interesting! Heh, poor Tumnus. Him and Mrs. Macready are not starting off well, I'm afraid. She can't even get his name right! Not that I'm dissing the name Thomas…. **

**Please review, tell me what you thought, were the characters in character, etc. I know I can't write Aslan, lol. And note that I might not be updating every single day, but at least every other day. I will put up a note if I won't be updating for more than a week, but I seriously doubt it will come to that. Christmas break is coming very soon so I will have more time. Ta!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again, hope you all are well. It is so cold here that my fingers are almost too frozen to type, thank you very much. Our winters here are so strange. It's like twenty degrees now with no snow or rain, and next week there's supposed to be freezing rain but no snow! I'LL NEVER GET SNOW! Besides that, I feel pretty happy. But the freezing rain may delay the updates for a couple of days if it's too bad. **

**Oh, **Lobo Diablo Lone Wolf **(Nice name by the way), your question on when the children came back to 'Spare Oom' as it were will be answered in this chapter. I forgot about that little detail, sorry. And sorry about the spelling mistakes, I used spell check and all, and I checked it myself, as did my mom, but I guess we all missed a misspelling here and there. Dang it. **

**Okay, I guess I am terrible at explaining this, heh, but Lucy and the children have traveled back into their own world before they have completed their reign. They are still kids, and they will go back to Narnia to complete their time in power after the story. That's why I said that this story is AU. Sorry for confusing things. You see, I have it all in my mind, and sometimes it just doesn't make it onto the paper. Oops.**

**Um, I think that's it. Yep. Arrele, take it away!**

**Arrele: Take what, exactly? Oh, never mind. That one author guy owns Narnia and all that stuff. All the authoress owns is a pair of socks and a Narnia book. The End.**

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_Previously…_

_Professor Kirke could only stare, like Mrs. Macready had done when she had first seen the Faun. He had missed Narnia so much when he had left it, and when the children had told him they had returned from the magical place he had thought it too good to be true. But here, cringing before him, was a Narnian in the flesh._

_It was tempting to reach out a hand and touch the Faun to see if this was just a dream, but instead he held out the scarf, saying placidly, "I believe you dropped this."_

_Tumnus had been expecting this human to detain him and take him to the witch lady, not hand him his scarf, which he had evidently dropped when he entered the library. All he could do was take it, politely thanking the strange man and wait for what would happen next.

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_

This whole situation had been rather interesting so far, Tumnus had decided, if not for the unpleasant chase and beating with the umbrella, and the uncomfortable silence that now resided between him and the old man. He would be sure to tell Lucy about it when he found her. If he found her. Right now he had to figure a way out of the mess that he was in.

Professor Kirke was sure that this stranger had come through the wardrobe and, judging from the bruises that had begun to form on his arm and forehead, was not having a very good time. He decided to try a friendly approach to talking to this creature, instead of yelling at him for knocking over the 'historical artifacts'.

With a kind smile he said, "Welcome. I am Professor Digory Kirke. I take it you are from Narnia?" He held out his hand so the Faun could shake it.

Tumnus blinked. "Why, yes, I am. Where am I?" He stared at the Professor's hand uncertainly, then lightly took it and shook it from side to side like he did with Lucy when they first met.

"You are in…" Professor Kirke trailed off, wondering if it was best to say that the Faun was in a different world instead of a different part of Narnia. It was most likely best not to alarm the Faun even more by telling him that his home was in a wardrobe. What was it that Lucy had told him? Had she said this place was the land of Spare Oom in the city of War Drobe? That seemed right.

"You are in the city of War Drobe, in the land of Spare Oom." He tried, hoping he got the wording right.

Tumnus's eyes lit up. "War Drobe? This is War Drobe?" He looked around, finally taking in what was around him. "Amazing." Suddenly he remembered his manners. "Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners, my name is Tumnus."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tumnus. Let's go to my study so we can talk in peace, I can hear Mrs. Macready coming around." The Professor chuckled to himself, leading the Faun out of the library.

* * *

Over tea and biscuits Tumnus told the Professor about his little mishap with the wardrobe, his chase with Mrs. Macready, and finally ending with the library. For some reason he didn't feel afraid of this man, probably because he didn't brandish an umbrella and call him Thomas.

During the Faun's little tale Professor Kirke debated on whether he should tell the children about Tumnus's arrival. He knew they would be happy to see their old friend, especially Lucy, but currently they were in bed asleep, tired from their adventures. They had arrived around one in the morning by Narnia's time, for what reason he did not know. Lucy had said that she thought it was a dream and she had expected to wake up in Narnia again, not in the spare room. They hadn't tried to go back through the wardrobe though, mainly because the Professor wanted to talk with them some more about their experiences after they had gotten some sleep.

The Professor glanced at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the study and was surprised to see that it was almost eleven at night. How long had they been talking?

"Oh dear, look at the time. I hate to interrupt our conversation, but it is very late. Would you like to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms? Mrs. Macready could prepare one for you if you'd like." He noticed how tired the Faun seemed and seized the opportunity to keep the Faun at his house a little longer.

"Yes, please, if it isn't any trouble." Tumnus stifled a yawn and stood, brushing breadcrumbs off himself with the end of his scarf, which was back around his neck.

"Very well, I'll let her know. Goodnight." The Professor stepped out of the room, leaving Tumnus to wonder if he was supposed to follow or not. Tenderly the Faun touched the sore spot between his horns, wincing a little. He hoped that he wouldn't come across the mean lady again, whatever she was.

He was rearranging his scarf so it wouldn't strangle him when someone stepped into the room. It was her.

"You again!" Mrs. Macready exclaimed. Tumnus nodded meekly.

"Well, come on then, I haven't got all night. It seems that you managed to get on the Professor's good side, how you did that after damaging his artifacts I have no idea, but keep in mind that I won't tolerate any more shenanigans while you're staying here, you hear?" She rambled on as she lead him up a flight of stairs and into a well-furnished room, complete with a bed, nightstand, clock, and wardrobe, although the wardrobe was nothing like the one he had fallen through.

Tumnus turned to thank the woman but she had gone. "Well, goodnight then." He said to the air, turning out the light and climbing into bed. This was turning out to be more and more interesting by each second that passed.

* * *

He was walking in the snow again, hair becoming wet from the falling snowflakes, with no idea where he was going. It seemed that his legs had a mind of their own and he could only watch as they took him toward a pair of cold iron gates. The sky was a bleak white with no sun in sight, only falling snow and clouds. He knew he was dreaming again, but there was no way he could wake himself up. The only option was to let the dream unfold.

Soon he was in a courtyard scattered with trees and remarkable statues. Something about the statues made him ill at ease, however, and he tried to steer himself away from them. Once again his wishes went unheard and he was heading purposefully towards a small cluster of four statues by the far wall. They were smaller than the rest but seemed to be of great importance.

Curious, he tried to make out what they were, but to his horror he recognized the smallest one without even having to look hard. It was a little girl, face fixed in unimaginable pain, with a missing hand. Tears were running down her face and her hair was in tangles. The other statues were in the same condition, all looking like they had suffered some terrible hurt before being frozen. And they were all very familiar to him. Painfully familiar.

"Lucy, Peter, Susan, Edmund, what happened?" He whispered each name, reaching out to touch the nearest figure. As his fingers made contact blood started to pour out of the stone, staining his fingers crimson. Horror-struck, he stepped back and desperately tried to wipe off the blood on his fingers, but every time he wiped his fingers on the snow the red would spread, until the entire courtyard was rapidly turning shades of scarlet.

Frantically he attempted to leave the terrible place, but the dream would not let him leave. "Why?" He asked, staring up at the sky, "Why do you torment me? What have I done?" No one replied, unsurprisingly, and Tumnus was left with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Miserably the Faun turned and watched as the shades of gray and white became stained with crimson. The statues, now made of scarlet stone, began to melt at his feet. Tumnus knew there was nothing he could do. Desolately he closed his eyes and waited for the end.

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**Hmm… this seems like a good place to pause, don't you think? Heh…**

**Please tell me what you thought; I will start working on the next chapter right away when the computer is open. Adios! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Holy…. Cow. That's all I can say. I am blown away from all the reviews I have received; they are just so uplifting, I have no words to describe it. Thank you all so much, THANK YOU THANK YOU! Alas, I haven't enough time to reply to all of you, but just know that this whole story is dedicated to all you guys. I think I'm going to cry now. In happiness, I mean. Yay. **

**Arrele: So touching. We don't own any of this, and if we did, we would be frolicking in the snow right now. But since we don't, all we are stuck with is freezing rain.

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_Previously…_

_Miserably the Faun turned and watched as the shades of gray and white became stained with crimson. The statues, now made of scarlet stone, began to melt at his feet. Tumnus knew there was nothing he could do. Desolately he closed his eyes and waited for the end.

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_

"Thomas? Silly boy, quit thrashing around and wake up!" A familiar voice floated down through the bloody snowflakes to him, making him take his hands away from his face and look up towards the heavens in confusion. Where was that coming from? Was it back in War Drobe? It seemed so far away from where he was.

"Do I have to do everything myself around here? WAKE UP!" The world around him jerked dangerously, knocking him to the ground and into the dark abyss below.

Tumnus opened his eyes, taking in a trembling breath, almost afraid to look around and see where he was. He needn't have worried, for Mrs. Macready was solid proof that he was back in the realm of the waking.

"For goodness sakes, were you trying to wake up the whole mansion?" The woman was dressed in a flowery nightgown and a huge nightcap, hands on her hips and face a mask of intolerance.

Tumnus sat up and tried not to look at her, since she was almost as scary as the nightmare he had just endured. "No, Lady, I did not mean to yell and create a fuss. It was a nightmare. I'm sorry."

He sounded so tired and melancholy that even Mrs. Macready had to warm up to him just a tiny bit, even if he did still wear that ridiculous goat costume. "Well, in that case, since you won't be going back to sleep anytime soon, I guess I'll have to supervise you. I can't have you wandering around in the middle of the night with all those valuable artifacts of the Professor. Come with me."

For a moment Tumnus was hesitant to follow her, but he decided it was better than staying in bed and succumbing to his nightmares. Carefully he slipped out from underneath the light bedcovers and ambled over to her, aware of her disapproval of his appearance. It was like she had never seen a Faun before, the way she stared at him. Weren't there Fauns here in Spare Oom? He would ask that later. Now he had to concentrate on not losing her in the dark halls of the house.

"Come on now, hurry up, and keep those hooves of yours from making too much sound; if the Professor or the children wake up at this time of night I'll hear no end of it." Mrs. Macready, candle in hand, didn't even bother to look behind her to see if he was following or not; she could hear him treading on the hardwood floor behind her.

Tumnus suppressed the irritated comment he was about to make about the hoof silencing. He couldn't control that as much as she could control the noise she made when she talked to him. It seemed that she could only talk in one volume and tone: loud and stern.

He suddenly picked up on the meaning in her orders and felt a jolt of surprise. Children? Could it possibly be Lucy and the others? It was almost too delicate to ask, for fear that if he did ask it would be some other children and not his friends he so desperately wanted to see again. But if he did not ask then he would never know, and this was something he had to know.

"I'm sorry, but did you say children?" He asked, trying to whisper loud enough for her to hear but not loud enough for her to yell at him again.

Mrs. Macready turned to look at him as they went down a flight of stairs. "Yes, I said children. Clean out your goaty ears and listen. We're almost there."

The two midnight wanderers finally arrived in the kitchen, where Tumnus suddenly found himself forced to sit in a chair at a well washed wooden table while the housekeeper busied herself at the stove.

The Faun watched her for a moment, wondering what she was doing, and then asked, "Does the Professor have children? I mean, are they his children, or are they-"

"No, they are not his children. The four Pevensie children have come to live here because of the air-raids in London." She frowned at his confused expression. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of the air-raids in London."

Tumnus looked at the table. "Well, actually, no, I haven't. I have never been to London, nor have I heard of these aire reads."

"Good grief, where have you been? Don't you know anything about the current events?" She didn't wait for a response. "Yes, sometimes I feel sorry for those children when they aren't destroying the valuable artifacts. Why are you so interested in them?"

Tumnus wondered if he should tell her that he was friends with the Pevensie children. So far the woman at the stove made no indication that she was aware of Narnia, and telling her about his meeting with Lucy might lead to strange questions. He was beginning to doubt that he was anywhere near Narnia anymore, since he had only seen humans here and could not feel that magic that was ever present in Narnia. No, he would not tell her the whole truth yet, until he could think of a way to explain the whole situation.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he said, "No reason. I was just curious." This was said with as much innocence as he could muster.

Mrs. Macready stared at him critically for a moment. "Very well." She picked two mugs off the counter and carried them over to the table, handing one to him and keeping one for herself. Tumnus sniffed the steaming brown liquid suspiciously.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Thomas, it's just hot chocolate. Drink it." The woman took a sip of it herself and glared at him over the rim of the mug.

The Faun took a drink and immediately cheered up at the warm, chocolatey taste. "Thank you." He said, closing his eyes to revel in the small comfort.

"Well, you looked like you needed it." She leaned forward a little, glasses reflecting the overhead light. "Now, tell me what is troubling you, goat boy. And don't lie to me, I can tell that something is upsetting you."

The Faun slowly lowered his mug and wrapped his hands around it, biting his lip. He didn't want to trouble her with his problems, but she did deserve some kind of explanation. And her glare made it hard to say no. "Well, I've been having these nightmares…" With that he told her of his dreams, replacing Lucy and the others with people that were of no importance, making it seem like he had just had a few bad run-ins with nightmares.

Mrs. Macready listened silently, nodding every once in a while, keeping her eyes on his. There was something different about this boy, she thought, and it has nothing to do with his goat fancies. She would figure him out sometime before he left, she resolved.

"It seems you have an over active imagination, Mr. Thomas." She said ignoring the annoyed expression she received when she said the name.

"Pardon?" Tumnus almost choked on his hot chocolate. That was the last thing he had been expecting.

"You heard me. You need to learn how to stick with reality and get your dreams straightened out. If you don't get a grip on real things you won't get a wink of sleep." She stood, taking their empty mugs and rinsing them in the sink. "Now, off to bed with you, and no more imagining things, you hear?"

Tumnus stood and nodded. "Okay. Thank you for listening." He wasn't sure what the whole point of this little midnight adventure was, but at least she hadn't whacked him again with the umbrella. His head was still sore.

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((Sorry, sorry, but I have to interrupt to say that…. IT'S SNOWING! Okay, I'm sorry again, but it's just so…. Fantastic. We never get snow here. I guess I own Narnia now, lol!))

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The rest of the night was nightmare free, and in the morning Tumnus was almost skeptical of his visit with Mrs. Macready in the middle of the night. It was hard to believe that the unyielding woman would be kind enough to offer him hot chocolate and a person to talk to when he had upset her earlier with the chase throughout the mansion.

Stretching, he walked over to the window and looked out, happy to see that there were plenty of trees in this land with plenty of sunshine. Well, at least that was the same as Narnia. For a while he could pretend that he wasn't in a strange house with odd people.

Then he remembered what Mrs. Macready had told him about the Pevensie children, and he grinned. Maybe they were awake now, and he could go and see them! Cheerfully he left his room and started down the hall, thoughts of seeing his friends on his mind.

And that is how he became lost.

Since he had come through the wardrobe, Tumnus had not had enough time to actually explore the mansion and figure out the layout. Pausing in his excited walk, he tapped his chin thoughtfully. Where exactly was he going in the first place? He had been so thrilled to see Lucy in this strange place he hadn't considered on where she was.

He was still standing in the hall when Mrs. Macready found him. All warmth towards him was gone, and she marched straight up to him and pulled his ear, saying, "Where do you think you're going, Mr. Thomas?"

Tumnus hollered in pain as his ear was yanked on. "Let go! Ow! Ow!" His poor head hurt more than ever, all thanks to Mrs. Macready.

He was sure his ear was going to be ripped off when he heard a startled gasp from behind him, and him and Mrs. Macready turned to see Susan standing in the hall, a look of surprised amusement upon her face.

"Mr. Tumnus! What are you doing here?" She ran up to hug him but stopped and said to, "Mrs. Macready, what are you doing?"

"This young man was about to go wandering about the house alone; probably to steal some valuable artifacts and such. I was about to take him to the Professor."

Susan looked at Tumnus oddly, as if she was about to ask something more, but instead she said, "Well, I can take him for you, if you don't mind."

"But I do mind." The woman said stubbornly, still holding onto his ear. At first she had been sure that the ear was fake so she didn't have any problem holding onto it, but as she tugged it became more and more apparent that it was indeed real. Not only was this unsettling but it was also intriguing. In addition to this interesting bit of information it seemed that Susan knew him as well.

"Please, Mrs. Macready, he won't be any trouble. In fact, I was going to see the Professor right now." Susan pleaded.

"Ah, child, you are relentless! I'll be happy when you all leave the house in peace. Fine, fine, take him! But if there are any broken statues, you'll be in big trouble." Tumnus suddenly found himself free of the woman's iron grasp.

"Thank you, Mrs. Macready!" Susan said brightly, taking Tumnus by the hand and leading him down the hall. Once they were out of sight the girl hugged him and asked, "Mr. Tumnus, how did you get here? When?"

"I- I don't know. I just arrived here yesterday." He looked at her in a mixture of bafflement and delight. "I was looking for Lucy in the forest near Cair Paravel, and then I ended up here. When did you get here?"

"Yesterday. We left Cair Paravel in the middle of the night, although why we don't know. It seems that we all just woke up here, and now we can't go back." She looked very sad as she said this.

"But why can't you return to Narnia?" Tumnus asked, not understanding.

"The wardrobe won't let us. You do remember it? It's sort of a… portal between this place and Narnia. It's only open at some times." Susan patted his arm sympathetically.

None of it made sense to Tumnus, but it was all lost when they entered the study of the Professor. There Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Professor Kirke were seated and talking in quiet voices. As soon as Susan and Tumnus set foot in the room it went silent, the children staring at the two in astonishment.

"Mr. Tumnus?" Lucy asked, her expression changing from sober to jubilant. "Mr. Tumnus!"

Tumnus let go of Susan's hand and scooped up Lucy in his arms, feeling as it he hadn't seen her in a million years. Peter and Edmund stood to welcome the Faun. Professor Kirke just smiled.

"Mr. Tumnus, how did you get here?" Edmund asked.

"He arrived the same way we did." Susan said.

"So he can't go back like us?" Peter inquired.

"I don't know." Susan said, looking at Tumnus. "Have you tried to go back?"

"No, I haven't. I can go back, can't I?" He was beginning to become worried again. Sure, it would be nice to explore Spare Oom a little with Lucy and the others, but he did miss home.

"Well, let's try!" Lucy said excitedly, taking Tumnus by the arm and pulling him out the door. Soon they were in the spare room, staring at the wardrobe hopefully.

"Well, go on, give it a try." Edmund said, motioning for Tumnus to go up to the magical piece of furniture.

Tumnus nodded and walked uncertainly up to it, putting his hand on the doorknob. He could feel the anxiety in the room, as if he was their only hope of reopening the portal. Would he do it? Or would he be stuck here with the others? This was the time to find out.

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**Uh oh, looks like I must stop. Sorry folks! I will type as fast as I can and update soon! Thank you for all your support. I hope that I answered some questions. Some I can't answer without giving stuff away, sorry. Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Goodness gracious me, I am so happy to say that Christmas vacation is officially here! Yay! But all the snow melted. :( **

**Just want to thank you all for being so supportive, and I must say that I only intended for this to be three chapters long. Guess I can't stick to what I decided. Heh. And Elizabeth, DON'T KILL MR TUMNUS! I HAVE UPDATED! AAAHHHHH! Oh. You won't kill him. Okay. Good. **

**Um, I hope you all like this chapter, and thank you all for being so kind to me. It's the best Christmas present I could ever receive. Thank you.**

**Arrele: Aw… since the snow is gone, the rights to Narnia are gone as well. We did own a Tumnus whistle from Mickey D's, but then it got lost. Wah.

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_Previously…_

"_Well, go on, give it a try." Edmund said, motioning for Tumnus to go up to the magical piece of furniture._

_Tumnus nodded and walked uncertainly up to it, putting his hand on the doorknob. He could feel the anxiety in the room, as if he was their only hope of reopening the portal. Would he do it? Or would he be stuck here with the others? This was the time to find out.

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Hesitantly he turned the doorknob, pulling the intricately carved door wide open. All he could see where a few wet footprints and the wooden back of the wardrobe. Everyone sighed in disappointment as Tumnus turned to face the four.

"Well, it was worth a try, wasn't it?" Peter said, trying to cheer everyone up.

"What about him? He can't stay here, he's a…. a…." Edmund started, pointing at Tumnus.

"A what, Edmund?" Lucy asked.

"Well… he's not normal. What will the others say?" Edmund seemed to be accusing Tumnus for closing the portal in the wardrobe.

"Whatever do you mean? The only people who are here are the Professor and Mrs. Macready, and they don't seem to mind." Susan reprimanded.

"But… never mind." The boy went silent, casting the whole room into stillness.

Lucy walked up to Tumnus and kindly shut the wardrobe door, preventing him from staring desolately into the gloom inside it. "That's okay. I mean, the Professor did say that the portal wasn't open all the time. Maybe it will be open tomorrow, and then we can all go back to Cair Paravel."

Tumnus smiled at her optimism. Leave it to a little girl to brighten up even the most disappointing situations. He put a hand on her shoulder, looking at the rest of the kids hopefully. "She's right. Maybe it's not time to leave Spare Oom just yet."

Merrily Lucy took his hand and led him out of the room again without waiting for the others to follow. "Come, Mr. Tumnus, I want to show you the mansion. There's a lot of cool stuff here, as long as you don't touch the valuable artifacts. Mrs. Macready will have your head if you so much as look at them." At the words 'don't touch the valuable artifacts' the girl imitated the housekeeper's uncompromising voice, making the Faun laugh.

Then he remembered breaking the statue and his expression became somber. "But… I broke a statue earlier… will she have my head?" He looked so serious that Lucy had to giggle.

"No, Mr. Tumnus, it was a figure of speech. She wouldn't take your head, but I bet she wasn't happy. What happened to your head?" She had suddenly noticed the large bruise peeking out from under his brown curls.

"This?" He tenderly touched the spot, wincing a little. "I broke a statue and she became upset."

"What did she hit you with? It looks like a…" Lucy tried to determine what exactly the shape of the bruise looked like. Peter, Susan, and Edmund caught up to them and studied the bruise as well.

"It looks like an umbrella." Peter said, grimacing at the thought of being walloped with an umbrella wielded by Mrs. Macready.

"An umbrella? But-" Susan was cut off by advancing footsteps. "It's her! Quick, this way!" She whispered, running in the other direction.

The others followed, Tumnus wondering what exactly they were running from and why. Then he looked behind him and saw Mrs. Macready, face red and eyes full of malice. It was enough to make anyone, even Aslan, run. Well, maybe not Aslan, but it was pretty frightening. Susan led the small group outside through a door and into a garden, where they found sanctuary among the bright flowers and vegetables.

"That was close." Peter said from behind some squash.

Tumnus smiled and crouched behind some purple flowers, inhaling the pleasant scent. He could sit here for a while, he was certain, if the need should arise. Circling the garden were trees, none that were as big as in Narnia, but they were big nonetheless. After he was sure Mrs. Macready wouldn't appear, he stood and walked over to one of the oaks, placing a hand on it. To his surprise they seemed different somehow, but he did not have reason why. Maybe they were different in War Drobe. He could hear Lucy walk up behind him and stand silently as he felt the bark.

"Lucy, the trees, they seem… different." Tumnus said, unsure of how he felt.

"How?" She put a hand up on the tree as well as if that would help her understand.

"I don't know. They are missing something." His fingers felt the grooves in the tree bark, and he realized that the tree wasn't speaking to him likes the ones back home did. It wasn't just this one, it was all of them. The silence was pressing on his ears, and he turned to Lucy, blue eyes filled with concern and perplexity.

"Mr. Tumnus…. The trees here don't speak, if that's what you mean." Peter said gently.

"They don't? Never? But- but how…" Tumnus couldn't believe it. "What do all the forest creatures say?"

"Nothing, Mr. Tumnus. They cannot speak either." Susan put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Not at all?"

"No, only the humans can. I'm sorry."

It seemed like the Faun was going to cry, but instead he looked up at the tree again and said in a woebegone voice, "What a strange place Spare Oom is."

Lucy placed her hand over his, like he had done when they had been standing on the balcony at Cair Paravel, watching Aslan leave on the sandy beach. "Don't worry, we'll find a way back."

Her hand was sticky. Tumnus had a brief flashback of her taking her hand away with it dripping blood, and quickly he lifted his hand, taking hers in his own. He sighed in relief when he only found some tree sap.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked, seeing the concern in his eyes.

"N- nothing. Nothing at all." He said quietly, dropping the appendage like it was on fire. Suddenly the purpose of why he had come to Spare Oom in the first place came to him, and the urgency of it pressed on him. Tumnus wanted to speak to Lucy dearly, but he suddenly found his throat dry and he became aware of the others still around him. This was not the right time for them to talk alone.

The little queen stared at him apprehensively, but didn't say anything, for Mrs. Macready had finally found them. She held a letter in her hand and was waving it around.

"Children, I have a letter from your mother, come here now so I won't have to shout!" The housekeeper yelled.

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**Yes, I know, not a very good chapter, but I had to put something. Think of it as a transition between this chapter and the next. I'm sorry. Um, review, and I'll try to put up the next chapter in a day or two. I NEED TO SEE THE MOVIE AGAIN TO GET INSPIRED! THE BOOK ISN'T ENOUGH!**


	7. Chapter 7 Part One, I guess

**Hi folks! Uh… yeah. Please don't kill me. Please. Tons of things have happened that were completely out of my ability to change, and I have now just found the time to update this. Let it be known that I haven't abandoned it; it just… er… took a break. Yep. I know sorry doesn't cover it, but I can't give you all money (on account I don't know where you all live and I am broke) and this is the best I can do. **

**Arrele: We don't own Narnia or NUUUUUUUURNIA as this girl called Mikura likes to say…. Man, it's been forever since I said this... why am I complaining?  
**

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_Previously…_

"_N- nothing. Nothing at all." He said quietly, dropping the appendage like it was on fire. Suddenly the purpose of why he had come to Spare Oom in the first place came to him, and the urgency of it pressed on him. Tumnus wanted to speak to Lucy dearly, but he suddenly found his throat dry and he became aware of the others still around him. This was not the right time for them to talk alone._

_The little queen stared at him apprehensively, but didn't say anything, for Mrs. Macready had finally found them. She held a letter in her hand and was waving it around._

"_Children, I have a letter from your mother, come here now so I won't have to shout!" The housekeeper yelled._

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_

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy brightened at the idea of a contact with their mom, and they all ran over to Mrs. Macready. Tumnus stood back, still perturbed by the fact that the trees or animals didn't speak here. Did that mean he was the only Faun here too? Was this place only populated by humans? This was an eye-opening notion.

"Mr. Tumnus! Look!" Lucy called, waving the letter. The Faun walked over, curious as to what in the letter could possibly make her this excited.

"Mother is coming in a week! She got tickets on the train!" She and the other children did a small little happy dance in front of Mrs. Macready, who almost smiled, but merely muttered, "Great, another mouth to feed."

Tumnus was suddenly swept up in the dance with Lucy, and for a brief moment he was happy and undisturbed in this strange land, and the only thing that mattered was that he was with his friends. Then Edmund broke the spell.

"How is she going to react to him?" Edmund said discourteously, making everyone stop in the celebration. "He's not what she would call normal."

Lucy looked at Tumnus for a moment, too bewildered to speak. She hadn't thought of Tumnus as an abnormality, not when there were so many other creatures around her in Narnia that were odd looking. Her mother had never been to Narnia, so how would she know that Tumnus was a Faun and not some crazy freak with the legs and ears of a goat? The horns and ears could be easily covered up with a hat, but the legs and tail would be a problem.

"Well… we could disguise him!" She blurted out. They all looked at Mrs. Macready hopefully for ideas; even though the chances of her helping the children would be slim to none.

And against all expectations she considered the possibility for a moment and said, "Well, there are some spare clothes you could use, and the Professor has some unused hats in the attic. It wouldn't be too hard."

Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

The housekeeper raised an eyebrow. "What? You didn't think that I wouldn't figure out that Mr. Thomas isn't human? For goodness sake, I'm not blind you know! Now, in return for my generosity, I expect you to all help me prepare for your mother's arrival, you hear? That includes you too, goat boy."

Tumnus couldn't believe his luck. For a moment he had honestly believed that he would have to hide away in one of the spare rooms until the woman's visit was over. Gratefully he nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Macready, I'll help you whenever you need it."

"Good, because I need it now." Mrs. Macready said, "I need someone to go out and weed the garden." She was looking right at Tumnus.

"Tumnus and I would be happy to!" Lucy said, almost bouncing up and down. She had missed her mother from the second she had stepped onto the train and couldn't wait to see her again. As the others received their tasks Tumnus and Lucy headed over to the garden, where a million weeds seemed to have popped up since they were last there.

"Aw, I hate weeding." Lucy pouted.

Tumnus laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be done soon." He took another look at the garden. "I hope."

It took them two hours to finish pulling up the unwanted plants, but eventually they were done. Several times Tumnus started to tell Lucy what he had been meaning to tell her since he had woken up in Narnia from his nightmare, but each time something came up and he couldn't say anything. It was doubtful if he would ever get to tell Lucy about his worries.

Even though he was worried about his nightmares, the sun soon melted his cares away and he focused on doing the never ending series of tasks that Mrs. Macready had for him. At the end of the day all the children were exhausted, sprawled underneath the large tree and watching the sun set.

"I never knew that the Macready had so many chores for us." Edmund groaned, nursing a sore arm that had been polishing furniture all day.

"Me neither." Peter said with his eyes closed. He severely disliked brooms from now on.

"I wasn't so bad." Susan said brightly. All she had to do was shelve books in the library.

There was a pause as everyone glared at the girl, but it soon ended because they were too tired to glower for long. Tumnus leaned against the tree and looked up into the branches. Mrs. Macready had wanted him to climb the tree to get rid of some squirrel's nests that housed some particularly nasty garden wrecking squirrels, but he had to tell her that he couldn't, and Edmund had to climb up there instead. Did she think he was some kind of half mountain goat? He didn't know what to think now.

"Children! Come in and get your supper before it goes cold!" Mrs. Macready yelled, startling everyone out of their tired thoughts.

After dinner Mrs. Macready marched Tumnus into one of the mansion's unused rooms, where the woman pulled out a box full of old clothes that had belonged to the Professor many years ago.

"Here, try this on." She thrust a pair of dusty trousers into his arms. Before he could say anything he sneezed, almost dropping the clothes. For a moment it looked like the woman was going to laugh, but instead she sighed and turned to look in the closet for some less dusty attire.

Tumnus stifled another sneeze and pulled on the pants, not liking the way his hair rubbed against the fabric. The legs were very long and there was no way he could keep from stepping on them as he tried to pull them up higher. Unfortunately he pulled too hard, resulting in a loud ripping sound.

Mrs. Macready's eyes almost glowed a demonic red as she towered above him, yelling, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE PROFESSOR'S FAVORITE TROUSERS?"

Tumnus scrambled backwards. He was almost the same height as the woman, but at the moment she seemed almost as large as a giant. "I- I'm sorry, I d-didn't m-mean too, I can fix it…" He was stuttering again, much like when he had first spoken to Lucy. In his haste he fell over, ripping the pants even more.

The housekeeper snatched the pants off him and looked at them critically. She realized that these pants had belonged to one of the servants, and not the Professor, but she wasn't going to tell the Faun that. Not when he offered to repair them.

"Well, you can get about to fixing them later. Try these, and don't rip them this time!" She tossed a black pair at him this time.

Carefully he pulled them on, this time not ripping them, and walked around a little. It was very odd since Fauns rarely wore clothes, if none at all, outside of battle. They didn't need any. The only clothing he had worn was the red scarf that was around his neck. As he walked his hooves made a soft noise, slightly muffled by the fabric he kept stepping on. He could wear these pants, he supposed, if he didn't have to run.

He turned to face Mrs. Macready and found himself suddenly holding a white shirt and a wool hat. These weren't dusty and looked fairly new. He put the shirt on without a problem, but the hat was a bother because of his horns and his ears.

Mrs. Macready watched him struggle to put the hat on over his ears and finally jammed it on his head, hiding the irregularities. "There. Now look in the mirror and see how you look." She was surprised at how human he looked, to tell the truth, and a secret sense of satisfaction rose up to replace the annoyance that she associated with all the children in the house.

Maybe this could work after all.

After another moment of pleased silence, the door cracked open and Lucy stuck her head in, eyes widening as they took in Tumnus's new look. With a cry of glee she clapped her hands together and said, "Oh, it's perfect! Mom'll never know the difference!"

Tumnus smiled embarrassedly, doubt still nagging at the back of his mind. It would take nothing short of a miracle to pull this off.

* * *

**Okay, so this chapter wasn't exciting in the least, but I felt that I had to get it up before you all gave up hope. If you didn't already. Guys? You still there?**

**As for now, I have this all planned out. It's just a matter of time and opportunity to type the rest out and finish it. **


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